Draw rod adapter



June 27, 1939. E. H. WAGNER mmw non mm 12R Filed Feb.. 13, 1939 I N VEN TOR. EYyJ/Ia A? i/ay/Mf BY v . 'CJW- ATTORNEY.

Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to direct draw beer dispensing and cooling'cabinets and more'particularly to an adapter to accommodate a draw rod for either center or side tapping.

The principal purpose and object of my invention is to provide an adapter so constructed and arranged that by merely reversing the relative positions of its parts, the desired passageway out of the cabinet for a draw rod may be easily and quickly provided for either center or side tapping.

In accordance with my'invention the adapter comprises a pair of separable block-like elements of the desired material and provided at their engaging surfaces, one with a pair of spaced grooves, and the other with a groove and a projection in the same spaced relation as the grooves in the other element so that the selected grooves may be'made to register to provide a draw rod passageway through the adapter while the projection extends 'in'toand closes the groove not being. used. T

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view with portions broken away of a direct draw cabinet equipped with'a draw rod' adapter of my invention; o (Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown inFig.1;" 1 Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-'3of Fig. 1; T Fig. 4 is'a perspective view of the adapter with the blocks arranged for side tapping as in Fig. 1;

"and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the adapter with the blocks arranged for center tap-ping.

I element 6 to releasably-hold the door in closed position; The doors. extend close to the bottom wall 1 of the cabinet when the latter is mechani cally cooled as shown in Fig. 1. The cooling coil (not shown) for the electrically operated cooling system for the cabinet is located within the cabinet in the space between the keg compartments 2.

As this coil is laterally narrow, the keg compart- I .ments'may be brought relatively close together 'to reduce the overall length ,of the cabinet and provide a narrow panel 8 in the front wall of the wall 1 as indicated for the single'kegfi in Fig. 1.

The top of the cabinet is constructed to have a fixed rear bar section l0 and a front drain section I I. The latter, in the cabinet shown, is substantially flush with the rear bar section I0 and comprises two removable drain pans l2, l2, one over each keg compartment. The pans l2, l2 seat on the top of the cabinet as at l3, I4 and meet the rear'bar section In along its front edge at IS. The supports l3 are at'the ends of the cabinet, while the support I is at the center of the cabinet at the panel 8.

The adapter I6 of my invention comprises'a pair of separable block-like elements I "I, I8. latter have complementary flat engaging surfaces a, b where they fit together and one block, namely the block I1, is provided in its surface a with a pair of spaced semi-cylindricalgrooves or recesses 19, 20, extending-through the block from top to ment as the grooves 19, ZII'a nd register when the 'block' elements'are fitted together in the use of the adapter. With the block elements separable,

The

therelativ'e positions of th'elements may be reversed to register the grooves I 9;"2I for a side as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, respectively. Ineither of these positions, the projection 22 on the block element l8 extends into" and closes the groove in the block element l1 no'I'tbeing used for a rod passage. adapter by merely reversing the relative, positions of its block elements may be quickly and easily adjusted for either center or sidetapping. I The cabinet is equipped with an adapter over each keg compartment 2. The adapter is fitted between the rear bar section l0 and the remov- I-Ience, with the'structure shown, the

able drain pan I2 at thejoint between them as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The block element I1 is fitted to the drain'pan l2 at its rear edge, while the block element I8 is fitted to the rear bar section H] at its front edge. The rear bar section I0 is recessed at 23 tov accommodate the adapter and, thus allow the front and rear edges of the rear bar. section Ill and. the drain pans [1 to meet at the joint I5 without hinderance by the adapter elements between them.

In the embodiment shown, the block elements have upper and lower flange formations to overlie the top and the bottom surfaces of the rear bar section and the drain pan, respectively. This positions the block elements in the cabinet and also holds them against displacement when in use. The upper and lower flanges on the block l! are marked 24, 24', while 25, 25 indicate similar flanges on the block i8. These flanges project sufiiciently from the body portions of the blocks on all sides, except at their engageable surfaces a, b, and thus span the associated portions of the cabinet which they embrace.

In practice, the block I! is usually secured to the drain pan I2, fastening members 26 being indicated for that purpose in Fig. 3. Here, the fasteners are in the form of driven members, the frame or body 2! of the drain pan structure being comprised of wood or other material into which headed fasteners may be driven. The block element I8 is not fastened to the rear bar section In for it is this element which is rotatable to provide for a side or a center tapping. The flanges on the block l8 hold it in place, and it will be noted in Fig. 2, that the block elements engage at their surfaces a, b when in use and hence the adapter is held in place without securing the block I8 to any part of the cabinet. With the drain pan removable from the cabinet, the block element I! is secured to the pan to retain its connection therewith at all times.

The adapter is located in the cabinet with its passage providing grooves disposed for either side or center tapping. This implies that the adapter is disposed with its grooves l9 and 20 eccentrically and centrally arranged with respect to the associated keg compartment 2. Hence, for a side tapping as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, the draw rod 28 for the keg 9 extends out of and above the cabinet through the passageway provided by the registering grooves l9, 2|. For a keg or barrel with a center bung, the draw rod extends out of the cabinet through the passageway provided on registering the grooves 20, 2|. The block 18 is adjusted to provide these passageways, the projection 22 always closing the groove not being used. Henceythe adapter carries its own closure element and the use of a separate plug which may become lost or mislaid. is avoided. Moreover, with the closure element a part of the block,'the closure may be'made to properly fit the grooves in the associated block and thus provide a neat andefiicient adapter fixture.

7 With the block element l8 freely'supported by the bar section") said block element may be easily and quickly withdrawn from the cabinet on removal of the drain pan l2 for turning the block to reverse its position as desired. The block is thereupon reinserted into'the recess 23 and the drain pan replaced to hold the block in the recess. For a cabinet with a stepped down top design, the block I! would not have the lower flanges 24. The blocks may be made of wood or other desired insulation material. If a rubber composition is employed, the blocks would preferably be molded. I

The draw rod 28 is long enough to reach the bottom of the keg and extend sufficiently above the top of the cabinet to provide the necessary clearance for the beer glasses between the drain 7 out of the cabinet and within the adapter is sheathed in a tube 30, which may be of rubber or other desired insulating material to hold a temperature for the beer within the rod. grooves and projection on the adapter blocks have a diameter to accommodate the protecting sheath 30.

The tap fixture for the keg is shown at 3|, and which fixture is of the conventional type having a clamp nut 32 and a gas connection 33. For side tapping, the tap is located in the head of the keg close to its chime. For a center tapping, the tap is at the center of the head as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. With my adapter, the cabinet is not limited to one system of tapping, being capable of handling both as herein disclosed. The drain pans when removed open the upper half 'of the cabinet to the doorways and thus facilitate tapping the kegs, and their insertion into and removal from the cabinet.

Suitable gaskets or packing.(not shown) may be used to seal the joints between the drain pans and associated cabinet parts and also between the adapter blocks and the pan and rear bar sections, respectively. The contacting surfaces a, b of the adapter blocks are co-extensive and fit sufficiently close to avoid temperature leakage between the blocks. In the cabinet shown, the rear bar section l0 and the drain pans 12 may be covered with sheet metal 34 and have countersunk form as at 35, 35 for glass holding and draining purposes. The metal coverings may be corrugated at the bottoms of chambers 35, 35 as shown.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a direct draw beer dispensing cabinet, the combination with a keg compartment having a top portion consisting of front and rear sections, one of which constitutes a removable drain pan for the cabinet, of an adapter for a draw rod comprising separable block elements disposed between said sections, one of said block elements having a pair of spaced grooves therein and the other block element having a similarly spaced groove and a projection, one of said block elements being reversible with respect to the other block element whereby .to register the grooves in the two block elements to provide a draw rod passage between them for either sideor center tapping in the respective positions of the block elements and to close by the projection on one block element the groove in the other block element not in use.

2. In a direct draw beer dispensing cabinet, the combination with a keg compartment having a top portion consisting of a fixed bar section and a removable drain pan section, of the adapter for a draw rod comprising separable first and second block elements disposed between said sections, said first block element being secured to the drain pan section and having a pair of: spaced grooves therein and the second block element being releasably mounted on the rear bar section and having a groove and a projection in thesame spaced relation as the grooves in the first block element, said second block element being reversible with respect to the first block element whereby to register the grooves in the two block elements to provide a draw rod passage between The them for either side or center tapping in the respective positions of the second block element and to close by the projection on the latter element the groove in the first block element not in use.

3. In a direct draw bar dispensing cabinet, the combination with a keg compartment having a top portion consisting of a fixed bar section and a removable drain pan section, of an adapter for a draw rod comprising separable block elements disposed between said sections, one of said block elements having a pair of spaced grooves therein and the other block element having a similarly spaced groove and a projection, one of said block elements being reversible with respect to the other block element whereby to register the grooves in the two block elements to provide a draw rod passage between them for either side or center tapping in the respective positions of the block elements and to close by the projection on one block element the groove in the other block element not in use, said block elements having flange formations in overlapping relation with the fixed bar and removable drain pan sections, respectively.

4. In a direct draw bar dispensing cabinet, the combination with a keg compartment having a top portion consisting of a fixed bar section and a removable drain pan section, of an adapter for a draw rod comprising separable block elements disposed between said sections, one of said block elements having a pair of spaced grooves therein and the other block element having a similarly spaced groove and a projection, one of said block elements being reversible with respect to the other block element whereby to register the grooves in the two block elements to provide a draw rod passage between them for either side or center tapping in the respective portions of the block elements and to close by the projection on one block element the groove in the other block element not in use, said bar and drain pan sections being disposed with their opposed edges in juxtaposition with a recess in the edge of one of them to accommodate the block elements.

5. An adapter of the character and for the purpose described, comprising a block-like unit divided longitudinally into separable block elements, one having a pair of spaced grooves therein and the other having a similarly arranged groove and a projection, said grooves and said projection extending transversely across the elements between the ends thereof at their meeting surfaces and said block elements being reversible one with respect to the other so to register the grooves in the two block elements to provide a draw row passage between them for either side or center tapping in the respective positions of the block elements and to close by the projection on one block element the groove in the other block element not in use.

EUGENE H. WAGNER. 

